SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11564, 30 January 1901, Page 3

SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATED

AUSTRALIA.

A CHAT WITH MR. GEO. FOWLDS, M.H.R.

With the object of eliciting from Mr. Geo. Fowlds, M.H.R., the impressions which he gained on his recent visit to the Commonwealth celebrations, as to the question of New Zealand joining the Federation, a Herald representative waited upon that gentleman yesterday.

"What did you think of the celebrations ?" was the first question.

"They were very impressive. There were tremendous crowds ot people in the city, and altogether the procession, decorations, and illuminations constituted a great sight. The-latter were probably the most magnificent the world has ever seen; they certainly fa. surpassed those in London on the occasion of the Duke of York's wedding. The arrangements for the reception and entertainment committee were, however, fearfully bungled. Cards of admission to the various functions came to hand days afterwards, and some of the visitors never received any at all. All the outside shows were simply splendid, especially the harbour illuminations."

• " What did you find to be the feeling as to New Zealand joining the Federation ?" " I found that in Australia nearly everybody thinks we are sure to come in; some, indeed, thinking that we shall be compelled to do sc. The general feeling amongst the members ot the New Zealand Parliament whom I met there seemed to be adverse to New Zealand joining the Federation, and that feeling seemed to •be increased rather than decreased by their observations on the other side."

Do you share this adverse feeling?" " Yes; on the whole I think the disadvantages that would accrue would more than outweigh the possible advantages." "On what do you base that opinion?" "The principal advantages that were pointed out by Australian politicians were that we should have a free port for our produce, 1 and the benefit of a united scheme of defence, in addition to the more sentimental ' reason that we should be a part of one great people with one great destiny. I tried to point out that New Zealand seemed to me to have a destiny of her own, as the head of a South Sea Island confederation. As to the first of the assumed advantages a free port— seems to me quite possible that that advantage may be ours without federation. Mr. G. H. Reid is making a magnificent fight over the whole of .the continent for a purely revenue tariff, similar to that at present enjoyed by New South "Wales, with every prospect of success. Mr. Reid, by-the by, is by far the most striking and able of the public men of Australia, and the enthusiastic receptions he got at all the public functions during the celebrations indicated his popularity amongst the representatives present from the other colonies, as well as those from his own city. In any case, Australia, or any portion of it, will only take our produce when some special circumstances have caused a shortage in their own, and when such a shortage occurs in the future they will be compelled to take our produce, as in the past." " What chance, in your opinion, exists of a reciprocal tariff between New Zealand and the federated colonies ?"

" I think the chances are very good indeed. Most of the public men I met seemed favourably disposed to such an arrangement, some suggesting even that we might finally sdopt a uniform tariff and have intercolonial free trade."

jj "As to the question of defence?" I " Well, it seems to me that our experience |in South Africa' has shown pretty clearly a that we would be well able to defend our- | selves aeainst any hostile invasion, and any H defence beyond that must be dependent upon i the supremacy of the British navy. Aus--1 tralia, in case of difficulties, could render us | very little assistance. Their railways would | be of service within the continent itself, but | would not enable them to render effectual | assistance to New Zealand." I "What do you consider to be the principal 1 disadvantages of federation so far as New | Zealand is concerned ?" I "I consider we should be hampered hi the I development of our social and political life. | New Zealand, for instance, might be ripe for some great change, and be debarred from making it by the limitations ot the Constitution, and• oui chances, of changing public opinion in Australia would h. very small indeed. Mr. Seddon over there has been making frequent complaint*, of the sparsity of New Zealand news in all the Australian papers, and those complaints are well founded. They know very little about us in Australia, and do not seem particularly anxious to know more. The dividing in- j fluence of the sea is much great©* in proportion to its distance than the same distance by land. In addition to that, as soon as the Federal Government sets properly consolidated, it seems inevitable that they ■will go in for some elaborate and expensive national undertakings, the cost of which would partly fall upon New Zealand, if we ! were in the Federation. In fact, the effect of some of these undertakings would be to greatly, reduce the possibility of our supplying them with New Zealand produce. Almost at once they propose a continental railway tc West Australia, and before long large sums will be spent in opening up their rivers for navigation, whilst large irrigation schemes are already being talked of. The coloured labour question is one that will provoke good deal of irritation, especially in Queensland, and it is just, possible that a ' white Australia' -will not be attained for some time to come. The declaration of Mr. | Barton for a ' white Australia,' as well as | the terms of the Constitution, seem to shut the. door against the po«ible inclusion of '"i ii, and the other South Sea Islands, in the Federation, and makes all the more desirable such a. union of these islands, with New Zealand. I think Australia should join with New Zealand in proclaiming a Monroe doctrine fo; the South Pacific." "How were you impressed, generally, with Australia's public men?" "With the exception oi Mr. G. H. Reid and Si. Samuel Griffith, I was not particularly impressed. Our own Premier, Mr.' Seddon, was the most kingly-looking man amongst the crowd. Mi. Barton has attained hi» position more by accident than anything else. The real source of his popularity with the Stp/.es outside of New South Wales was his willingness to accept Federation at any price, without considering for a moment tho sacrifice involved by the mothor colony, whilst Mi. Raid's popularity suffered by the fight She made to. what h« considered justice to his colony." "How will Federation, think you, act upon the interests of the various colonies?" "I think that New South Wale* has most tc lose, and Victoria mos' to gain thereby The recent statistics of th». seven colonies, issued by Mr. Coghlan, show, in a most striking litrht. the wonderful progress made by New South Wak under a freetrade policy, while th? condition, of Victoria is indicated as being far from satisfactory. I can hardly understand how the most casual observe., liayinj, a visit to Australia, could fail to be impressed with the superiority oi the policy pursued by New South Wale=. Within the last six years in that colony, under free trade, they have doubled the amount of land in cultivation as compared with the previous 106 years." * " Did you see much of the othei colonies besides New South Wales?" " Oh, yes. I went up to Queensland, 1000 mile-: north of Brisbane, and also down to ■Melbourne. The possibilities that lie before a colony like Queensland are something tremendous. If they only had regular rains, that colony alone would seem to be almost capable of supplying the world with produce. Lookincr at the impressions I gained during my visit, a a, whole, I consider hat the Commonwealth of Australia lias come into existence under the most favourable circumstances. The future contains great possibilities ot benefit to the people of the Constitution. tc the Empire, and to the world at large."